Friday, November 16, 2012

At Last!

I finished a new sweater:

I started this several months ago, but have had to put it aside while more pressing projects needed attention. It's handspun wool, Lincoln, Blue Faced Leicester, Romney, etc. All sorts of outdoor-wear breeds of wool.

This was knitted top-down; a design-as-you-go stranded cardigan, with a steeked front. The front closure for the steeks is a knitted envelope, or steek sandwich! which I learned from this post by Kate Davies.

It has the necessary pockets:

Also the requisite hood:

and cuffs...
that turn into hand warmers!

The buttons were an issue. I tried several (of course, Plan Ahead applies here: the sweater was done, buttonholes included, before I looked at buttons, so I was limited in my choices).

Wood:

Leather:

Dyed bone, which I liked best, sewed on, but it turns out the shank tip catches on the yarn (boo):

So I had to go with these:

Dyed wood, very large and lightweight. They are perfect for the buttonholes, and the color is good: they will do nicely. The button holes are applied i-cord: a very neat and tidy finish to the steek sandwich front bands.

So there you have it! Handspun, stranded, steeked, hooded, with built-in mitts, a new sweater just in time for winter:

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Lessons Learned from Cats

Still basking here, catlike, from SOAR and a few days' retreat thereafter. Charlene has posted about some of the things we did and talked about here. Raised by cats, indeed! It seems an apt metaphor.

I did manage to get a few things done, herewith the silk fabric:

Now, to sew. I always leave the sewing until the last minute: not my favorite thing to do. But alas, no clothing without some sewing!

I was given several things as house gifts and thank you gifts recently, and I sense a theme:

I've finished a new sweater too, pictures to follow. It was to be for SOAR, but the best laid plans, etc. Cold weather is just starting though, so it will get plenty of wear, and it is The Perfect Sweater (aren't they all? at least the most recently finished?).